Windmill-regulator.



No. 851,846. PATBNTED APR. 30 1907. J. B. VAIL.

WINDMILL REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28. 1906.

2 SHEBTB-SHEET 1.

I aim wall V2211 No. 851,846. .PATENTBD APR. so, 1907.

J. B. VAIL.

WINDMILL REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED muses, 1906.

UNKTED STATES PATENT @llihlhOE.

JAMES B. VAIL, OF WESTON, MICHIGAN.

WlNDWllLL-REGULATOR.

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES B. VAIL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Weston, in the county of Lenawee and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vfindmill-Regulators and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in windmill regulators, and it consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of devices, hereinafter de scribed and claimed.

The object of the invention is to rovide a simple and practical device of this iaracter, which will be entirely automatic in operation, and well adapted for the purpose intended.

The above and other objects, which will appear as the nature of my invention is better understood, are accomplished by means of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of my improved windmill regulator; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the device, showing the parts in the position they assume when the windmill is in operation Fig. 3 is a similar view, show ing the parts in the position they assume when the windmill has been thrown out of operation; Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view, taken on the plane indicated by the line l4 in Fig. 2 Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view, taken on the plane indicated by the line 5 5 in Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the cam, looking at its inner or rear face; Figs. 7 and S are detail views of the two weighted levers; Fig. 9 is a detail view of one of the adjustable stops upon the pump-rod and Fig. 10 is a detail view, showing the preferred manner in which the floatactuating trip-wire or chain is connected and supported when the tank is located at a distance from the windmill.

Referring to the drawings by numeral, 1 denotes a portion of a vertically-reciprocating pump-rod, 2 denotes a connection leading to the mechanism for throwing the wheel of a windmill into and out of the wind, or into and out of an operative position, and 3 denotes a trip-wire, chain, or similar flexible Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 30, 1907.

Application filed June 28,1906. Serial No. 323,800.

connection, which is adapted to throw my improved regulator into and out of operation, and which has one of its ends attached to the usual float in the water tank, into which the windmill pumps water. 1 his tripwire 3, as shown in Fig. 1, passes over a guide wheel 4, mounted upon a horizontal beam 6, which is adjustably clamped upon the frame of a windmill or other suitable support, by one or more clamps 7, consisting of apertured plates and hook-bolts. I also preferably mount my improved regulator 8 upon this cross-bar or beam 6, so that it is disposed adjacent to the pump rod 1, and I surround the regulator by a casing 9 of suitable construction.

The regulator 8 comprises a main frame or support 11, preferably in the form of a casting having at its bottom attaching lugs 12, which secure it in an upright position on the top of the cross-bar 6. lhis support 11 is formed with vcrtieally-alining slots or openings 13, 14-, to receive and guide a verticallysliding rack-bar 15, to the upper end of which is attached the connection 2 leading up to the controlling clutch or mechanism of the windmill. 1 he bar 15 has its side edges formed with rack teeth, which are preferably arranged in staggered relation, as clearly shown in the drawings, and it is prevented from moving too suddenly by a leaf spring 16. The latter has its free end bearing upon the outer face of said bar and its opposite end sooured upon a stud or lug 1.6 projecting from the outer face of the support 11. The rackbar 15 is moved upwardly by the connection 2 when the windmill is thrown into operation, and is moved downwardly to throw the windmill out of operation, by a pair of dogs or pawls 17, 1S, pivotally mounted at 19, 20, so as to swing by gravity into engz'igement with-the teeth of ,the rack-bar 15. These pivots 19, 20, are carried by an oscillating lever 21, which is pivoted ata point midway between said pivots upon a pivot 22 projecting from the upper portion of the support 11. One end of the lever 21 projects through and swings in a vertical slot 23 in one end of the casing 9, and is disposed in the path of ad justable stops 24 provided upon the pumprod 1. Each of these stops, as clearly shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings, is in the form of a clamp adapted to be secured upon the pumprod by means of a set-screw 25. The lowermost stop 24 is so disposed that it engages the underside of the lever 21 shortly before the pump-rod reaches the limit of its upward stroke and swings said lever upwardly a predetermined distance, and the upper stop is so adjusted upon the pump-rod that shortly before the latter reaches the limit of its downward stroke, said stop will engage the upper side of the lever 21 and move it downwardly a predetermined distance. .l hen the pump is in operation, the pawls 17 18, are held normally out of engagement with the teeth of the rack 15, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, so that the reciprocation of the pumprod and the oscillation of the lever 21 will not be imparted to said rack-bar. The pawls are held in such retracted or disengaged position by levers 26, 27, which project vertically be tween the spaced studs or projections 28 upon the lower portions of the outer faces of said pawls. These levers 26, 27, are pivoted at 29 upon opposite points upon the main support 11, and they are so constructed or weighted that they swing by gravity inwardly into engagement with a cam 31, which projects between their upper portions. T his cam 31 has two flat side edges or working faces and it is pivoted upon a pivot 32 projecting from the support 11. Upon the innor or rear face of said cam, is a concentric boss, and upon its outer face is a projecting flange 33, which has formed in it two recesses or openings 34, 35, both of which are of segmental shape, as clearly shown in 6 of the drawings. The recess 35 is provided for the reception of a stud 36 projecting from the upper portion of the support 1 1 and adapted to engage the radial end walls of said opening to limit the swinging movement of the cam. The inner and smaller recess 34 is provided for the reception of a stud 37, which projects from a weighted, cam-actuating lever 38 also pivoted upon the pivot 32, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings. Said cam-actuating lever 38 is formed with a segmental slot 39 to receive a stud 40 projecting from a weighted controller or trip. lever 41. The latter is also mounted to swing upon the pivot 32 and is provided with a series of openings 42, in any one of which may be secured one end of the trip-wire 3.

The 0 eration of the invention is as follows: hen the windmill is in operation, the parts will assume their normal position shown in Fig. 2, in which the cam 31 separates the levers 26 and 27, so that the latter hold the pawls 17, 18, out of engagement with the teeth of the rack-bar 15. hen the tank, into which the windmill pumps water, fills, its float will rise and the chain or the wire 3 will slacken to permit the weighted lever 41., to swing to the right. Through the engagement of the stud 40 upon the lever 41 with one of the end walls of the slot 39 in the lever 38, the latter will be swung from its position upon the leftside of its pivot to a vertical po sition, and it will then swing downwardly to the right by gravity, and will carry the cam 31 with it, its stud 37 actuatingsaid cam, as will be readily understood. The cam will then assume the position shown in 3, so that its flat sides or faces will be disposed vertically, and the levers 26, 27, will swing inwardly by gravity and permit the pawls 17 18, to swing inwardly into engagement with the. teeth of the rack 15. hen said teeth are thus engaged, the oscillation of the lever 21 by the pump-rod 1, will cause said pawls to alternately engage the rack and move it downwardly. This downward movement of the rack-bar draws downwardly upon the connection 2 and shifts the clutch or operating mechanism of the windmill to throw the latter out of the wind, to an inoperative position. hen the water in the tank again lowers, the downward movement of the float will draw upon the chain 3 and swing the lever 41 back to its normal position. The return of the lever 41 will restore the parts to the position shown in Fig. 2, and as soon as the pawls 17, 18, release the rack-bar the mechanism at the other end of the connection 2 will draw the rack-bar up and the windmill will be thrown into operation. The spring 16 is provided for the purpose of checking this quick upward movement of the rack-bar and hence causes the windmill to start up gradually.

When the tank into which the windmill pumps water is situated at a great distance from the windmill, the wire or other flexible connection 3 is attached to an endless chain 45 passed around guide wheels 46, as shown in Fig. 10 of the drawings. It will be seen that the lower stretch of this endless chain will keep the upper stretch, to which the connection 3 is attached, or which the latter forms a part of, taut.

While I have shown and described the pre ferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact showing set forth, since various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention, as defined by the appended claims. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is,

In a windmill regulator, the combination with a windmill controlling element carrying a double rack bar, and a reciprocating pump-rod having adjustable stops, of a lever actuated by said pump-rod and stops, pawls carried by said lever to coact with said double rack, means for holding said pawls out of engagement with said rack, a cam for operating said holding means, an actuating lever for said cam having a loose connection therewith, and means For operating said actuating lever.

2. In a windmill regulator, the combination With a windmill controlling element can rying a double rack-bar, and a reciprocating pump-rod, of a lever actuated by said pump- I rod, pawls carried by said lever to coact with said double rack, means for holding said pawls out of engagement with said rack, a cam for operating said holding means, an actuating lever for said cam having a loose connection therewith, and means for operating said actuating lever.

3. In windmill regulator, the combination with a windmill controlling element carrying a double rack-bar, and a reciprocating pump-rod, of a lever actuated by said pumprod, pawls carried by said lever to coact with said double rack, means for holding said pawls out of engagement with said rack, a cam for operating said holding means, an actuating lever for said cam having a loose connection therewith, a controller or trip-lever for operating said cam actuating lever and having a loose connection therewith, and a connection for operating said controller or trip-lever, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the character described, a double rack, a lever, pawls upon said lever for engagement with said rack, levers for holding said pawls out of engagement with said rack, and a cam for controlling said lastmentioned levers.

5. In a device of the character described, a double rack, a lever, pawls upon said lever for engagement with said rack, levers for holding said pawls out of engagement with said rack, a cam for actuating the last-men tioned levers, a cam actuatingv lever having a loose connection with said cam, and a trip i or controlling lever having a loose connection with said cam actuating lever.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES B. VAIL. lVitn esses H. C. RETAN, A. H. Arnus. 

